Runaways

Oh run-a, oh run-a, oh runaways,
(Please come home)
Oh run-a, oh run-a, oh runaways
(Please come home)
Daddy hit you in a temper,
But he's sorry now,
(Please come home)
Just a quarrel had with mummy,
Just a family row
(Please come home)
You caught mum chasing dad with a knife,
(Don't cry, don't cry)
You ran away to escape from the fights,
(Don't cry, don't cry)
Now you're lost in a maze of neon light,
And she's worried,
He's worried
She's worried, oh...
Oh run-a, oh run-a, oh runaways,
(Please come home)
Oh run-a, oh run-a, oh runaways
(Please come home)
Pacing street-lamps on the highway,
Haystack for your bed
(Please come home)
In the morning we will find you,
In papers to be read
(Please come home)
You heard screams from
The warmth of your bed
(Don't cry, don't cry)
You slumbered on without being fed
(Don't cry, don't cry)
Now there's no more tears to be shed,
And she's sorry,
He's sorry,
He's sorry, oh...
Oh run-a, oh run-a, oh runaways,
(Please come home)
Oh run-a, oh run-a, oh runaways
(Please come home)

 

Ball and Chain

Save us from the ball and chain,
Save us from the ball and chain,
Save us from the ball and chain,
oh yeah,
The diggers and the tower cranes,
The diggers and the tower cranes.
Don't want demolition,
Don't want your compensation,
It's not just bricks and mortar,
We are lambs to slaughter.
Save us from the ball and chain,
Save us from the ball and chain,
Save us from the ball and chain,
oh yeah,
The diggers and the tower cranes,
The diggers and the tower cranes.
Must we live in fear,
From those who shed no tears?
Our one and only shelter,
Your games, your helter skelter.
Motorways and office blocks,
They're standing on the spot
Where stood a home,
Crushing on the memories of people,
Who have since turned to stone.
(Ahh)
They've turned to stone,
(Ahh)
They've turned to stone.
Save us from the ball and chain,
Save us from the ball and chain,
Save us from the ball and chain,
oh yeah,
The diggers and the tower cranes,
The diggers and the tower cranes.

 

Senses Working Overtime

Hey hey,
The clouds are whey,
There's straw for the donkeys,
And the innocents can all sleep safely,
All sleep safely.
My, my,
Sun is pie,
There's fodder for the cannons,
And the guilty ones can all sleep safely,
All sleep safely.
And all the world is football shaped,
It's just for me to kick in space,
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste,
And I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime,
Trying to take this all in,
I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime,
Trying to taste the difference,
'Tween the lemons and limes,
The pain and the pleasure,
And the church bells softly chime.
Hey hey,
Night fights day,
There's food for the thinkers,
And the innocents can all live slowly,
All live slowly,
My, my,
The sky will cry,
Jewels for the thirsty,
And the guilty one's can all die slowly
All die slowly.
And all the world is biscuit shaped,
It's just for me to feed my face,
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste,
And I've got one, two, three, four, five,
Senses working overtime,
Trying to take this all in,
I've got one, two, three, four, five,
Senses working overtime,
Trying to taste the difference,
'Tween the lemons and limes,
The pain and the pleasure,
And the church bells softly chime,
And birds might fall from black skies,
And bullies might give you black eyes,
And busses might skid on black ice,
But to me it's very very beautiful,
(England's glory)
Beautiful
(A striking beauty)
And all the world is football shaped,
It's just for me to kick in space,
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste,
And I've got one, two, three, four, five,
Senses working overtime,
Trying to take this all in,
I've got one,two,three, four, five
Senses working overtime,
Trying to tell the difference,
'Tween the goods and crimes,
Dirt or treasure,
And there's one, two, three, four,five
Senses working overtime,
Trying to take this all in,
I've got one, two, three, four, five,
Senses working overtime,
Trying to taste the difference,
'Tween the lemons and limes,
The pain and the pleasure,
And the church bells softly chime.

 

Jason and the Argonauts

There may be no Golden Fleece,
But human riches I'll release
Oh, my head is spinning like the world and it's filled with beasts I've seen,
Let me put my bag down and I'll tell you it all right from the start,
Like the scarlet woman who would pick on the boys she thought were green,
And the two faced man who made a hobby of breaking his wife's heart.
Seems the more I travel,
From the foam to gravel,
As the nets unravel,
All exotic fish I find like Jason and the Argonauts
There may be no Golden Fleece,
But human riches I'll release
I was in a land where men force women to hide their facial features,
And here in the west it's just the same but they're using make-up veils.
I've seen acts of every shade of terrible crime from man-like creatures,
And I've had the breath of liars blowing me off course in my sails.
Seems the more I travel,
From the foam to gravel,
As the nets unravel,
All exotic fish I find like Jason and the Argonauts
There may be no Golden Fleece,
But human riches I'll release.
I have watched the manimals go by
Buying shoes, buying sweets, buying knives.
I have watched the manimals and cried
Buying time, buying ends to other peoples lives.
Jason and the Argonauts
There may be no Golden Fleece,
But human riches I'll release.
Jason and the Argonauts
There may be no Golden Fleece,
But human riches I'll release.

 

No Thugs in Our House

The insect-headed worker-wife will hang her waspies on the line;
The husband burns his paper, sucks his pipe while studying their cushion-floor;
His viscous poly-paste breath comes out,
Their wall-paper world is shattered by his shout,
A boy in blue is busy banging out a headache on the kitchen door.
And all the while Graham slept on,
Dreaming of a world where he could do just what he wanted to.
No thugs in our house are there dear?
We made that clear,
We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
No thugs in our house are there dear?
We made that clear,
We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
The young policeman who just can't grow a moustache will open up his book,
And spoil their breakfast with reports of Asians who have been so badly kicked,
Is this your son's wallet I've got here?
He must have dropped it after too much beer.
Oh, officer, we can't believe our little angel is the one you've picked.
And all the while Graham slept on,
Dreaming of a world where he could do just what he wanted to.
No thugs in our house are there dear?
We made that clear,
We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
No thugs in our house are there dear?
We made that clear,
We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
They never read those pamphlets in his bottom drawer,
They never read that tattoo on his arm.
They thought that was just a boys club badge he wore,
They never thought he'd do folks any harm.
The insect-headed worker wife will hang her waspies on the line;
She's singing something stale and simple now this business has fizzled out;
Her little tune is such a happy song
Her son is innocent,
He can't do wrong,
'Cos dads a judge and knows exactly what the job of judging's all about.
And all the while Graham slept on,
Dreaming of a world where he could do just what he wanted to.
No thugs in our house, are there dear?
We made that clear,
We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy.
No thugs in our house, are there dear?
We made that clear,
We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy.

 

Yacht Dance

We, we will dance like tiny boats with cotton sails upon the tops of the seas,
That would pull us down to the depths and crush us flat if given half a chance.
No need to look back to pictures of lost, when all was rust.
We, we will skim across the surface of the mud as if we're spinning pebbles
Oh, in our yacht dance
Oh, in our yacht dance
We, we will dance like tiny boats with cotton sails upon the tops of the seas,
Made of people stained with scorn who never see the light of real love.
No need to look back through diaries of lost now turned to dust.
We, we will skate across the surface of the storm as if we're wheeling sea birds.
Oh, in our yacht dance
Oh, in our yacht dance
And how they'll be jealous of both of us!
In our yacht dance.
We, we will dance like tiny boats with cotton sails upon the tops of the seas,
That would pull us down to the depths and crush us flat if given half a chance.
No need to look back to pictures of lost, when all was rust.
We, we will skim across the surface of the mud as if we're spinning pebbles
Oh, in our yacht dance
Oh, in our yacht dance

 

All of a Sudden (It's Too Late)

What can I say?
Why do we starve a thing that's near extinction?
From day to day,
These weeds of fear,
Are choking our conviction,
Life's like a jigsaw,
you get the straight bits,
But there's something missing in the middle.
All of a sudden,
We find the cupboard's bare.
All of a sudden,
We find heaven's not there.
All of a sudden,
We find the sun's gone cold.
All of a sudden
We find we're more than old.
All of a sudden,
We find that we've lost love,
So please don't push or shove because,
It's too late,
It's too late,
In all your hurry you've accidentally locked the gate
What can we do?
Trying to stem the flow of sand is useless.
It's up to you start holding hands,
And watch the balance redress,
Life's like a firework,
You're only lit once,
And you must stand and radiate correctly.
All of a sudden,
We find the cupboard's bare.
All of a sudden,
We find heaven's not there.
All of a sudden,
We find the sun's gone cold.
All of a sudden
We find we're more than old.
All of a sudden,
We find that we've lost love,
So please don't push or shove because,
It's too late,
It's too late,
In all your hurry you've accidentally locked the gate
Love's not a product you can hoard or pack a suitcase with,
It's more a way you have to give.
All of a sudden,
We find the cupboard's bare.
All of a sudden,
We find heaven's not there.
All of a sudden,
We find the sun's gone cold.
All of a sudden
We find we're more than old.
All of a sudden,
We find that we've lost love,
So please don't push or shove because,
It's too late,
It's too late,
In all your hurry you've accidentally locked the gate your hurry you've accidentally locked the gate.

 

Melt the Guns

Programs of violence,
As entertainment,
Brings the disease into your room.
We know the germ,
Which is man-made in metal,
Is really a key to your own tomb.
Prevention is better than cure,
Bad apples affecting the pure,
You'll gather your senses I'm sure
Then agree to,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
And never more to fire them.
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
And never more desire them.
Children will want them,
Mothers supply them,
As long as your killers are heroes.
And all the media
Will fiddle while Rome burns,
Acting like modern-time Neros.
Prevention is better than cure,
Bad apples affecting the pure,
You'll gather your senses I'm sure
Then agree to,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
And never more to fire them.
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
And never more desire them.
I'm speaking to the Justice League of America.
The U S of A,
Hey you,
Yes you in particular!
When it comes to the judgement day and you're standing at the gates with your weaponry,
You dead go down on one knee,
Clasp your hands in prayer and start quoting me,
'Cos we say...
Our father we've managed to contain the epidemic in one place, now,
Let's hope they shoot themselves instead of others,
Help to civilize the race now.
We've trapped the cause of the plague,
In the land of the free and the home of the brave.
If we listen quietly we can hear them shooting from grave to grave.
You ought to,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
And never more to fire them.
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
Melt the guns,
And never more desire them.

 

Leisure

Leisure
They taught me how to work,
But they can't teach me how to shirk correctly.
As you see,
Science once again robs us of our jobs.
They've put a microchip in my place,
I hide behind screen of aggression nowadays,
It's just a way of saving some face.
So now I'm permanently drunk,
Like the rest of the race with,
Leisure.
If you think I'm clowning,
I assure you that I'm drowning here in,
Leisure
They taught me how to work,
But they can't teach me how to shirk correctly.
I spend all day,
And all my allowance on TV games.
Amusement heaven at the flick of a switch.
Instead of a lathe I busy my fingers nowadays,
By scoring goals with the gentlest twitch.
I've forgotten how to use my legs to invade the pitch.
Leisure
If you think I'm clowning,
I assure you that I'm drowning here in,
Leisure
They taught me how to work,
But they can't teach me how to shirk correctly.
They had retired me 'fore I left school,
(just saw no point in the standing in line)
So I spend lots of time lounging at home,
(why not come in 'cos the carpet is fine)
What a waste of breath it is,
Searching for the jobs that don't exist.
So now I'm permanently drunk,
Like the rest of the race with,
Leisure.
If you think I'm clowning,
I assure you that I'm drowning here in,
Leisure
They taught me how to work,
But they can't teach me how to shirk correctly.
Lazybones, looking through The Sun
How'd you ever expect to find your day's work ...?

 

It's Nearly Africa

Chant your spirit free;
Rush to greet truth like a dart
Shake your bag o'bones,
Shake your bag o'bones.
That's not traffic roar,
That's a leopard in your heart,
Shake your bag o'bones,
Shake your bag o'bones.
Go tell your stale friends,
go tell false prophets,
And drug traffickers,
Not to try to push our bodies any faster
We're dancing with disaster,
And the first will be the last,
It's nearly Africa,
Oh-oh,
It's nearly Africa,
Oh-oh,
Any day now,
Any day, now now
Unplug future plans;
Finger-paint the sun on you,
Shake your bag o'bones,
Shake your bag o'bones,
Mend your missing links,
I think trust should be the glue,
Shake your bag o'bones,
Shake your bag o'bones,
Go tell your warboys,
Go tell all leeches,
And blind panickers,
Not to try to push your bodies any faster,
We're dancing with disaster,
And the first will be the last,
It's nearly Africa,
Oh-oh,
It's nearly Africa,
Oh-oh,
Any day, now
Any day, now now
Our civilization car is running wild,
Who did you give the wheel to?
The fat man driving us over the edge of the nearest cliff-face,
Is he the same god that I've seen you kneel to?

 

Knuckle Down

Knuckle down,
Love his skin,
It doesn't matter what color skin he's locked in,
Knuckle down,
Knuckle down and love that skin.
Knuckle down,
Love his race,
It doesn't matter if you win or lose a little face,
Knuckle down and love that race.
One bright morning the world might end with a big bang,
And you'll never get yourself another chance.
Put aside the hoodoo and some of the voodoo,
'Bout people being different,
They're not so different.
Take them by the arm and run to the street,
Take a little drum to supply the beat,
Soon the whole world will be up on its feet and dancing.
For my sake,
Won't you put your knuckles down, boys?
For my sake,
Won't you put you knuckles down?
Love her skin,
It doesn't matter what color skin she's locked in,
Knuckle down,
Knuckle down and love that skin.
Knuckle down,
Love her race,
It doesn't matter if you win or lose a little face,
Knuckle down and love that race.
One bright morning you just might wake when the coin drops,
Even though you think that love is such a corny thing.
You can burst the bubble full up with trouble,
Says that people always got to be fighting
(not right!)
Take them by the arm and run to the fields,
Blow on your horn until Jericho yields,
Soon the whole world will lay down swords and shield for singing.
For my sake,
Won't you put your knuckles down, boys?
For my sake,
Won't you put you knuckles down?

 

Fly On the Wall

I am the fly on the wall,
My prying eyes are looking through your bottom drawer.
I just came flying through your door,
You didn't notice that your number had been called.
I see the mother who's beating the babe,
I see the money,
The pennies you save,
Stored on computers,
From birth to the grave.
The fly on the wall,
He's seeing it all.
I am the fly upon the wall,
You're in the index of the files that stand so tall.
Although your health is rather poor,
We have a place for those who cannot find a cure.
I know your income,
Your daily crust,
I know your pleasures,
Your passion,
Your lust,
I know when you're living and I know when you're dust.
The fly on the wall,
He's seeing it all.
One is born and one will die, it's all understood
The bit that's in the middle doesn't count
I am the fly on the wall,
My prying eyes are looking through your bottom drawer.
I just came flying through your door,
You didn't notice that your number had been called.
I see the mother who's beating the babe,
I see the money,
The pennies you save,
Stored on computers,
From birth to the grave.
The fly on the wall,
He's seeing it all. I am the fly
I am the fly upon the wall,
You're in the index of the files that stand so tall.
Although your health is rather poor,
We have a place for those who cannot find a cure.
I know your income,
Your daily crust,
I know your pleasures,
Your passion,
Your lust,
I know when you're living and I know when you're dust.
The fly on the wall,
He's seeing it all.

 

Down in the Cockpit

Man acting like a farmer and,
He's treated the woman like a poor cow,
We got to treat you better from now,
But man is just a baby and,
He's needing your milk of kindness.
I vow to drink as much as you will allow.
All the way through history,
Man, machine, no mystery,
All the way through history,
Girl have the brain to act like the weaker sex.
Down in the cockpit,
Man need the woman to pull him right out of it,
Down in the cockpit,
Man need the woman to pull him right out of it.
Queen wants the castle,
back from the rascal,
Queen wants the castle.
The girl tribe are growing up and,
Filling the world full with a new soul,
To get so far they payed a high toll.
Try not to make,
The same mistakes,
As man has done, or you'll fall in that hole,
And you will see us changing our role.
All the way through history,
Man, machine, no mystery,
All the way through history,
Girl have the brain to act like the weaker sex.
Down in the cockpit,
Man need the woman to pull him right out of it,
Down in the cockpit,
Man need the woman to pull him right out of it.
Queen wants the castle,
back from the rascal,
Queen wants the castle.

 

English Roundabout

People rushing round with no time to spare.
I'm so dizzy,
I'm neither here nor there.
In this traffic jam,
I just want to shout,
Let me off o' this English roundabout
English roundabout
And all the horns go 'beep! beep!'
All the people follow like sheep,
I'm full of light and sound,
Making my head go round, round.
Everyone is cursing under their breath,
I'm a passenger,
I feel close to death,
Hopeless situation,
I have no doubt.
Stop the madness, English roundabout
English roundabout
And all the cars go 'brum! brum!'
And in my ears I feel a hum,
The neons blind my eyes,
All those tempers rise, rise.
Cars and buses go,
Puffing out their smoke,
Roll my window down,
I begin to choke.
I have had enough,
I just want to get out.
Let me off o' this English roundabout.
English roundabout.

 

Snowman

It isn't even winter and I'm freezing, freezing,
This sort of feeling isn't pleasing,
And what I want to know, man,
why, oh why,
Does she treat me like a snowman?
She's been building me,
Up quite steadily,
Seems like I've been here years and years and years and years;
I wait patiently,
Froze in history,
All ice-water is tears and tears and tears and tears;
She treats me far too frosty,
This hanging on has cost me dear.
It isn't even winter and I'm shivering, shivering,
Waiting for the love that's not delivering,
What I want to know, man,
Why oh why,
Does she treat me like a snowman?
It seems you would say I was too softhearted,
If you made a dunce cap I'd don it!
People will always be tempted to wipe their feet,
On anything with 'welcome' written on it.
It isn't even winter and I'm freezing, freezing,
And this sort of feeling isn't pleasing,
And what I want to know, man,
Why, oh why,
Does she treat me like a snowman?